Ablation techniques for the treatment of atrial fibrillation

摘要

A catheter device provides a balloon structure and a side-firing laser lumen within the balloon to create lesions in the pulmonary vein (PV) in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Mounted on the balloon so as to contact the PV when the balloon is inflated are one or more electrodes which may be used in a measurement mode, a treatment mode, or both.

主权项

1. A device suitable for insertion into the pulmonary vein for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, the device comprising:
at least one apertured lumen having distal and proximal ends; an inflatable balloon in the vicinity of the distal end of the lumen; an optical fiber at least partially within the at least one lumen and disposed along the axis of the lumen, the optical fiber being suitable for conveying a beam of laser energy; at least one opening in the vicinity of the distal end and within the inflatable balloon; an optical device in the lumen in the vicinity of the distal end and within the balloon to deflect a laser beam introduced in the vicinity of the proximal end and exiting in the vicinity of the distal end of the lumen at angles other than along the lumen axis, the lumen being rotatable around the lumen axis while the inflatable balloon remains stationary; at least one electrode formed on the balloon, wherein the at least one electrode is suitable for one or both of measurement and treatment of the pulmonary vein wall, a controller operatively connected to the at least one electrode; wherein, when the inflatable balloon is inflated, the at least one electrode comes into contact with the pulmonary vein wall and is operable for one or more of measurement and treatment, the controller also being operatively connected to a source of laser energy and being operable to cause laser energy to be conveyed along the lumen axis to the optical device, the optical device deflecting the laser beam to impinge on the pulmonary vein wall; wherein the deflected laser energy impinges on the pulmonary vein wall through a laser beam treatment area within the inflated balloon; further comprising a plurality of electrodes formed at least partially directly coupled to the periphery of the balloon, the electrodes being located outside the laser beam treatment area; wherein the deflected laser energy impinges on the pulmonary view wall through a laser beam through a laser beam treatment area within the inflated balloon.